The DailyDyl

Mr. Blair’s shop is one of the more unique stores in town with a variety of different trinkets one could buy. Today amongst all of the intriguing items a charm bracelet-making section catches my eye. A sign above reads  Make your own Charm Bracelet: Choose up to ten charms. Price ranges from $30-$300. 

After reading the sign, I found the price for a charm bracelet quite reasonable, especially since I’ve seen jewelry stores where the starting price is around $300. Browsing through the charms was fascinating; the store seemed to have an almost endless selection. The first charm I chose was a key – gold-colored and gleaming. After that, I picked a random assortment of other charms. Handing my bracelet to Mr. Blair, he greeted me with a smile.

“These are wonderful choices, particularly this skull charm,” he commented while placing my bracelet in a small jewelry box.

He informed me of the price, and I took out my card to pay. With a thank you, he handed me the box.

“Thank you”
“You’re welcome now be careful these charms are quite powerful”

“What did he mean by that? It’s just a charm bracelet, after all,” I wondered as I left the store. Once outside, I put on the bracelet and noticed a charm I didn’t recall choosing. It depicted a girl in a green dress. Intrigued, I turned it over and saw my name and birthday engraved on it. This was startling; I had never mentioned my name or birthday to Mr. Blair. Eager for answers, I hurried back to the store to inquire about this mysterious charm.

“Excuse me, Mr.Blair?” 

“Yes, what’s wrong is the bracelet too tight or is it too loose?’ 

“No, it fits perfectly, but a charm I didn’t pick out is on here with my name and birthdate.” 

“Like I told you before these charms are quite powerful including the bracelet itself.” 

“So, you’re telling me that as soon I put the bracelet on it magically adds another charm.”

“Yeah, I mean If you don’t like the bracelet you’re more than welcome to return it”

“I think I’ll keep it to see what else these magic charms can do”

“Wonderful remember to be careful” 

I nodded to myself as I left the store, my mind teeming with curiosity about the potential abilities of the charms. Could they actually possess special powers? The thought intrigued me as I made my way home, pondering the possibilities of each individual charm.

Upon arriving home, I realized my keys were missing. In a moment of hopeful experimentation, I placed my hand on the doorknob, allowing the key charm on my bracelet to brush against it. To my astonishment, I heard a click, then turn the knob, opening the door.

“Hello?” I called out as I stepped inside, only to be met with silence.

Assuming that I had simply forgotten to lock the door before leaving, I shrugged off the odd sensation of the door feeling locked initially, then suddenly unlocking. The door must have just been stuck. I make sure to lock the door now just to be safe. 

I begin closely examining the bracelet. Looking at each of the eleven charms the key, the person, a pink heart, a four-leaf clover, a caterpillar charm, an airplane, a dog, a coffee mug, a money symbol, a ice cream cone, and lastly a skull. I picked out an interesting assortment. I’m still slightly confused about the person charm I didn’t pick out, but it was free. My grandmother used to say charm bracelets were magic. Maybe she was right. If she was right what could the bracelet be capable of?

I guess I’ll just have to figure it out. Adjusting my bracelet and taking another look at the charms, I thought to myself, “This should be fun.” If charms are truly magical, the one that worries me the most is the skull if. It is of no matter; they are just charms, after all. No need to get in over my head. I decided the only way to discover the bracelet’s capabilities was to experiment with each charm. Recalling the earlier incident with the door, I wondered if it was the key charm that had unlocked it. There was only one way to test this theory: try using the key charm again.

It decided it was probably best to test it on my bedroom door, to avoid getting locked out of the house. I locked my bedroom door from the inside, then closed it behind me. The door did not budge. There was no click. Nothing. Just as suspected. It was just a fluke. Then remembering how the key charm brushed against the knob of the house door. I tried again, this time placing my hand on the knob, with the key charm gently brushing against the handle of my bedroom door, the charm glows and I hear a click. Suddenly the handle releases and I’m able to get into my room without the actual key needed to unlock it. The key charm breaks off falling to the ground, with a soft thud splitting into two pieces. It seemed it only had a limited number of uses – perhaps just two – before its magic was depleted. I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of regret for using its magic on something as mundane as opening my front door and bedroom.

Now I’m down to ten charms. Finding out what each of them could do would have to wait until tomorrow. It was late.

Waking up the next morning, I was filled with a wave of excitement at the prospect of experimenting with all the charms on my bracelet. The challenge of discovering the potential powers hidden within each charm, especially since they weren’t as straightforward as the key charm, added to my sense of anticipation and eagerness. What could a heart charm do? Help me find love!. Alright, maybe that’s too ambitious. It was hard to decide which one to try first. Maybe the coffee mug. The only thing that made sense with the mug was to head to a coffee shop. 

The coffee shop was a small quaint coffee shop. Examining the charm bracelet it doesn’t seem to be a particular drink. Although it did seem to be a hot drink due to it being in a mug. So it was probably best if I just got a latte. Once the latte comes the little mug charm glows. The latte art looks like a small dog. The barista then smiled as they were about to tell me something. 

“Oh the latte is on the house today” 

“Why?” 

“You’re the hundredth customer of the day” 

“Oh, wow lucky me! Thank you.” 

The barista smiled and walked away. Taking a sip of the latte was soothing giving a feeling of being wrapped in a warm embrace. A woman walked up to me as if she was going to hand me something.

“Hey this fell off of your bracelet,” she says holding the coffee mug charm 

“Oh thank you,” I say taking the charm back from her.
“Of course,” she said with a smile as she turned and returned to her table.

Holding the mug charm in my hand, I see that it is cracked down the middle. At this rate, I’ll be out of charms in no time. It was quite mundane that all this charm could do was get me a free coffee. Hopefully, the other charms would be more exciting. Feeling each of the charms I noticed the dog charm was loose compared to the rest of the charms. Guess the dog one might be next to fall off. Leaving a tip at my table, it was time to get on with my day.

Outside the coffee shop, there was a dog loose from their leash running from what seemed to be a guy on a skateboard. Who was shouting.

“Come back, Lacy.” 

I quickly go after the dog and manage to stop her from running off any further. The guy on the skateboard stops.

“Thank you, she’s always getting loose from her leash.”

“Might be time for a new leash”

“Yeah you’re probably right, I’m Fin” 

“Nice name, I’m Ari” 

“So do you skate?” he says putting the leash back on his dog. 

“Yes,” I say which is a lie but I didn’t want to stop talking to him.

While we were engrossed in conversation, I heard a small clink. Turning my attention, I realized the dog charm had fallen off my bracelet and hit the ground. Both of us instinctively reached for it simultaneously, but he got to it first, pausing to examine the charm closely for a moment.

“It sorta looks like Lacy” 

“It does! What breed is Lacy?” I asked, recalling that the charm seemed to depict a more generic-looking dog rather than a specific breed. My curiosity was piqued, wondering if there was a connection between the charm and the actual dog.

  “Bernese Mountain Dog” 

Handing me back the charm, I noticed how it did look like Lacy. I thought it was odd as it seemed to have changed appearance to look like her.
“I need to get a better bracelet the charms keep falling off. This is the third one. I had eleven charms yesterday, now I only have eight” 

“Their is an old myth that says charms fall off once they’re not needed anymore as each of them serves a purpose at representing moments in someone’s life. Almost like a fortune telling of the wearer’s life” 

“Well, do you think, you might be able to tell me what the remaining charms might even mean?”

“I’ll try. I mean it’s only a myth so my guess is as good as yours might be.” 

Fin examines the bracelet and each of the charms closely. 

“Alright so for the skull it might represent death in some manner” 

“Death?” 

“Well, yeah, it is a skull, so I guess there isn’t much else it could represent,” He mused aloud. “And the charm with the money symbol – maybe it’s linked to financial gain, like winning the lottery. As for the clover, it probably symbolizes good luck.” Each charm seemed to have its own potential significance, and I was eager to see if they held any special powers or meanings.

“What about the plane and the caterpillar?” 

“I mean planes typically represent travel and caterpillars could represent that you are in the process of becoming a butterfly”

“A butterfly?”

“Well, not literally more of a figurative butterfly. It’s hard to explain but it could be as simple as seeing a caterpillar become a butterfly.”

“So that leaves the person, which I guess represents me in some way. A heart and ice cream cone” 

“Yeah, hearts are self-explanatory. As for the ice cream, I’m not sure. However, I think it means we go and get some ice cream together” 

“Really? You’d want to get ice cream with a stranger?” 

“I mean you did stop my dog from running away so why not? Plus maybe it will answer the ice cream cone charm question for you”

“Well alright, that sounds like a nice idea” 

“Alright Lacy time to go,” he says as his dog stands up ready for the walk to the Ice cream shop.

We get to the Ice Cream shop and look a the choices.
“So what flavor do you like?”

Fin thinks for a moment “I enjoy caramel crunch, what about you?”
“Oh I enjoy strawberry topped with hot fudge.”

“That sounds good.”
“It sure is.”

I glanced at my charm bracelet and noticed that the ice cream cone charm was getting loose. I tried tightening it, but it wouldn’t budge.

“Ari, it’s our turn,”

Snapped out of my thoughts, I apologized, “Oh, my bad.” I then proceeded to tell the ice cream shop worker my order. They quickly prepared it and handed it over to me. Once Fin received his order, we found a bench to sit on at the shop.

“So, did the ice cream charm fall off?” he asked curiously.

“Let me check,” I replied. As I reached for the charm, it detached and fell onto the ground, confirming his suspicion.

“Well now it did” 

“Alright, so how many charms is that now?”
“Seven left” 

“Alright but, besides the skull everything seems positive.” 

“True the question is what do they do? I hope the plane one isn’t just me seeing a plane in the sky.” 

“Oh yeah that would suck. How about you go play the lottery?” 

“My chances of winning are slim though.” 

“You do have both a money symbol charm and the four-leaf clover charm what do you have to lose?”

“Nothing. I’m just worried that If I do win the money will change me” 

“Oh, I’m sure you will be fine” 

Lacy barks. Looking at the two of us.
“Sorry, Lacy you can’t have ice cream.” 

Lacy whimpers and lies down. 

We finish our ice cream. 

“Alright well, it was nice meeting you, Ari. Good luck with the lottery” 

“Thank you” 

We go our separate ways. I walk to a convenience store and buy a scratch-off lottery ticket with a four-leaf clover on it. I scratch off the ticket and see that I won. I bring it to the front to show the cashier. 

“Well look at that you won!” 

He explained that I needed to visit a prize claim center because my earnings exceeded a certain amount. Grateful for the information, I thanked him and promptly headed to the prize claim center to process my winnings.

At the price claim center, I noticed the clover charm had fallen off and that the money symbol was loose. 

The employee called me over to verify the authenticity of the ticket and to arrange for the disbursement of the prize money. When asked whether I preferred a lump sum or annuity payments, I didn’t hesitate.

“Lump sum,” I responded.

The employee then proceeded to write out a check for the full amount of my earnings.

“Thank you,” I expressed my gratitude, eager to deposit the check as soon as possible.

Upon arriving at the bank to deposit my newly acquired fortune, I was filled with excitement about what the future might hold. But then, I heard a distinct clink – the money symbol charm from my bracelet had fallen to the ground.

Well, that leaves me with five charms. The person, the plane, the caterpillar, the pink heart, and the skull. 

They all felt loose giving me a shiver down my spine especially because of the skull. 

“Well, I’m not getting on a plane” 

I’m not sure how I’m going to figure out any of these charms. I’m hoping they’re just something I see on a TV show or in passing. It is probably best if I sleep on it. 

The next day, I made a point to take my keys and securely lock the front door before leaving. Heading back to the coffee shop, I spotted Fin there.

“Hey there, stranger,” I greeted him cheerfully.

“Good morning. Where’s Lacy?” I asked, noticing the absence of his usual canine companion.

“Oh, I left her at home today. So, did you end up playing the lottery?” he inquired, showing interest in our previous conversation.

“Yeah and I won” 

“Congratulations”

“Thank you. Want a Coffee on me?” 

“I’d love one!” 

We walk in and order our drinks. 

“So is this a date?” Fin asked?

“Do you want it to be?” 

“Sure,” I say blushing.

I hear a clink. Fin picks up a charm from the ground. 

“Oh look the heart charm” 

“Yeah” 

“So what does that leave you with now?”

“Only four left now.” 

“How sad, only a few charms left and then you’ll have an empty bracelet,” Fin commented, looking at my dwindling collection of charms.

“Yeah, I think that may be a good thing,” I responded thoughtfully.

“Why’s that?” he asked, curious about my perspective.

“I feel that it has me worrying more than I should. There’s always this sense of anticipation and uncertainty with each charm,” I explained.

“Ahh, well, it’s almost over. So, what do you have left?” Fin inquired, trying to lighten the mood.

“The person, airplane, the caterpillar, and the skull,” I listed the remaining charms.

“Nice, I’m sure they will be good things and nothing to worry about,” he reassured me.

As our drinks arrived, I noticed the latte art on mine resembled a plane. I glanced at my charm bracelet, and the airplane charm was still securely in place. It seemed like just a coincidence, but with this bracelet, I couldn’t be too sure.

“Something wrong?”

“No, just lost in thought” 

As Fin and I continue to talk a paper airplane flys in front of us almost hitting my eye.  

“Woah that was close” he says 

“Yeah” I look around to see who threw it but did not see anyone. 

I checked the bracelet again and the plane charm had fallen off. 

As we walked, I suddenly felt an unexpected push. I stumbled and fell into the street. Before I could react to the situation, everything around me turned pitch black.

Slowly regaining consciousness, I found myself in a place that seemed surreal. It felt like I was perched on a tree. Butterflies fluttered around me in a mesmerizing dance. Confused, I tried to look around, only to realize with shock that I no longer had arms or legs.

Peering through this new and strange perspective, I saw a figure approaching. My vision was hazy, making it difficult to recognize who it was. The world around me felt entirely unfamiliar, and I struggled to comprehend what had happened.

“Oh hello there Ari. I hope the charms were fun, but your time with them is done.”

I tried responding that I had a few more charms left.

“Oh thats right you still had some charms left is that right? It was the person, the caterpillar and the skull?”

The mysterious person approached closer, revealing in one hand my charm bracelet, now conspicuously missing the last three charms. In their other hand, they held the final three charms, detached from the bracelet.

They singled out the ‘person’ charm and flipped it over to show me the reverse side. To my shock, alongside my name and birthdate, there was now an additional date engraved – a date that seemed to signify my death. Confusion and disbelief washed over me. “Wait, but I’m not dead,” I thought to myself, struggling to make sense of this surreal and unsettling revelation.

“Your probably thinking oh but I’m not dead right? Well your sorta right but, also wrong”

The man then shows me the skull and the caterpillar charm. 

“Do you get it now Ari or do you need a mirror?” 

The man grabs a small compact mirror and in the reflection I see a caterpillar.

“Alright now I think you get it” 

The man backs away a enough for me to make out his face. It is Mr. Blair. 

“Oh and Ari I do hope you enjoy the butterfly garden. It has sure been a pleasure doing business with you.”

So is this my life now. Stuck as a caterpillar and at some point butterfly.

“It is a shame that Fin pushed you. I guess you know some people will do anything for money. I really was not expecting that to happen. I may make the charms but, they all have a life of their own. It really could have gone any way.

I want to scream, however nothing comes out. 

“Well Ari, the Devils work is never done. I must be going now. I look forward to seeing what you look like as a butterfly”